About the company

Name :Julien SA

Business: Mold maker

Website:www.juliensa.com

Key benefits achieved

• Using WorkNC’s powerful CAD and CAM capabilities practically nothing is impossible from a technical point of view for the business
• Allows them to re-establish the CATIA construction tree, which is crucial
• WorkNC’s powerful programming allows them to undertake lights-out machining meaning the workshop operates 24/7
• Set the business apart from their competitors with superior lead-times, quality and expertize
  

CNC Machinery：

5-axis machine tools：Breton、 Durango 和 Rambaudi

Comments:

“It means the workshop operates 24/7. From middayon Friday and over the weekend, it is fully autonomous, with automatic toolchanging and head rotation. We couldn’t do that without WorkNC.”

A mold maker serving the automotive industry says WorkNC software givesthem a distinct advantage, setting them apart from their competitors withsuperior lead-times, quality and expertize. And as a Beta tester for WorkNC,they found that a new item of functionality, subsequently introduced into thelatest release – 2019 R1 – slashed their finishing machining times by more thanhalf on certain parts.

Operating from three sites in France and one each in Turkeyand Slovakia, Julien SA manufactures molds for interiorlinings, boot compartment trim, and roof linings, along with parts forsoundproofing, foamed parts, and aluminum and textile thermal barriers.

They mainly produce single orderparts, or two to three small series molds for foam parts. Based at the10,000 square-metre head office in Le Creusot, France, Programming ManagerSergio Couto is responsible for preparing production and implementing theproduct manufacturing process. His department takes the lead on a range of aspects such as technical issues, monitoring and qualitycontrol for toolingproduction.

Although they make a small number of molds for theaerospace industry, most of their customers are major automotive groups who need tight turnaround times. Using WORKNC’s powerful CADand CAM capabilities, he says practically nothing is impossible from atechnical point of view.

The software is installed on seven computers on thecompany’s network, and drives three 5-axis machine tools: a Breton, Durango andRambaudi; and four 3+2 machines: a Goglio, FPT, Anayak and Soraluces.

Explaining how WorkNC is an integral and vital part oftheir full production operation, he says the process begins after theirprogramming team receives an assessment from the engineering office with thepurchase order. “Firstly, we analyse the CATIA file of the part to be produced,allowing us to isolate items which need to be precize, and to determine what’sfeasible.  

“With the aid of WORKNC’s CATIA interface we canre-establish the CATIA construction tree, whichis crucial, as that data is of paramount importance to our business. WORKNC isone of the rare applications which allows this.”

They then turn their attention to the number of parts theyneed to produce, and create the models in WorkNC, addingoffset allowances, and any other details required for accuratemachining.

“The next step is to prepare the production phase and runtoolpath calculations. We establish machining schedules and adapt WorkNC toolpathsto the specific machine being used.”

However, Sergio Couto says that occasionally they don’tknow which machines will be available, meaning they need to generate generictoolpaths. “This highlights the importance of Machining Contexts in WorkNC,because we often have to switch to another machine at the last moment.”

The final phase is in the workshop, where WorkNC’ssimulation function validates the process beforethe machines start cutting metal. And he says WorkNC’s powerful programmingallows them to undertake lights-out machining. “It means the workshop operates24/7. From midday on Friday and over the weekend, it is fully autonomous, withautomatic tool changing and head rotation. We couldn’t do that without WORKNC.”

As a Beta tester for WORKNC, Julien SA trialed a newfinishing strategy which allows users to break free from previous constraintscaused by tool shapes, and it has slashed their machining times by more thanhalf. As a result of the trials, WORKNC 2019 R1 adds the Z-Level pattern to the Advanced Toolform technology,allowing for tool shapes like barrels, ovals and parabolic to be calculatedover the part surfaces, including negative allowances.

Sergio Couto says the results of using theAdvancedToolform strategy with circular-segmentcutters compared to traditional methods, are indisputable, having reduced their finishing machining timesfrom 32 hours to 14.

WorkNC, part of the Production Software business of HexagonManufacturing Intelligence, is fully integrated into every machining phase –analysis, comparison, simulation, machining and verification. “Today, we also use it to transmit data to the workshop, through WORKNC Viewer.

Summing up the benefits of using WORKNC, Sergio Couto saystoolpath calculation times are no longer an issue. “We manufacture some largeparts – 2m x 1.5m – and it’s very rare that calculationtimes are longer than eight hours for all roughing,finishing, rest material, corner re-machining and mechanicaloperations such as drilling and pocket machining. And it’s auser-friendly application that’s so easy to learn…even for our employees who’venever done any programming before.”

The company has also invested in a mobilemeasuring arm from Hexagon, to make precize measurements at differentstages of the manufacturing operation. They use it to make immediate decisionsto either modify or continue the process when a doubt arises, which he saysguarantees security, saving time. “This all helps with the precision we need toactually manufacture the part, ensuring it’s of high quality, and that it canbe cleanly and accurately trimmed, which is particularly important for itsfinal appearance, as many of the parts coming out of our molds are visible tothe end user in the vehicles.”

Concluding, he explains why they first invested in WorkNC inthe 1994, and how it has developed since then: “In the 90s mold makers startedreceiving files from India and China, in which radii and planar surfaces didn’tconform to the original part, and it was no longer possible to program withCATIA. Even back then, WORKNC could rapidly generate a toolpath, irrespectiveof a part’s complexity, and imperfect surfaces.

“WORKNC has developed in line with requirement of millingoperators, who had previously programmed toolpaths directly onto the machinetools.  We have total confidence in working with it on a daily basis, andit helps us to take issues such as holidays, sickness absences and machinedowntimein our stride. It means we can set ourselves apart as amold makers, ahead of our competitors.”

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